Lie
by CayshaGriffin
Summary: Jim wonders how long Bruce can lie to him, and how long he can let it go on. Established relationship, slash. Gordon/Bruce


Disclaimer: I do not own Jim Gordon or Bruce Wayne/Batman. But god I wish I did!

Author's Note: My first trip into the wonderful world of Bruce/Gordon. Hope you all enjoy it during the break between chapters of Voyeurism. And if you don't like slash, why exactly are you reading this? XD

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In the beginning it was easy to ignore the little things. The way his smirk was so much like Bruce's, or when the comforting hand on his shoulder when they stood at the penthouse windows felt like Batman.

He closed his eyes against it and told himself he wouldn't have to wait long before _they_ told him. But after a while it got harder to ignore. Harder to see one man leaking through the others mask and not reach out.

Jim had to ignore Batman's obvious pain after stings gone wrong and hope he made it home in time to reach Bruce before he was shut out. He wasn't allowed to tell Batman to slow down because he knew those wounds weren't healing well, but he could tell Bruce Wayne he wasn't leaving bed until he learned to stop falling down staircases.

It drove him mad sometimes, made him feel helpless more often then he liked. Smiling appeasingly on the nights when Bruce said he had a late meeting and Jim found himself glued to the police frequency in hopes that there were no Batman sightings.

But he endured and waited for those two sides that made up the man he loved to reconcile and realize he could handle the secrets and darkness. He wanted to be Bruce's solace from the death and madness as he'd been for Jim from the beginning.

Then one night, it became too much. Too close a call to keep secrets.

It had been a hostile hostage situation. The perp wanted both Jim and Batman to negotiate with him personally. Jim didn't like it, and he told the masked man beside him so. But he might as well been talking to a wall for all it accomplished.

They went in shoulder to shoulder like they always did. But something had gone horribly wrong, the perp had never wanted negotiations. The whole thing had been an elaborate setup by the clawing remnants of the mob. Remnants that knew who the cause for all their woe was.

It happened in an instant, too quick for Jim to process before it was too late.

The hit man leveled a gun at Jim's chest the same moment he felt himself being pushed out of the way. He had pulled his own gun and aimed at the perp as he fell. Training taking over normal human reaction. The man was dead before Jim hit the ground. But it didn't stop the sickening sound of another body hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

"No!" His throat felt like dust as he rushed to the vigilantes side, crumpled and bleeding on the ground even with the protective kevlar. He didn't even remember taking out his radio but he didn't hesitate calling in 'man down'.

Batman's eyes were closed, two pitch black holes in the cowl, the armor too thick to see any signs of life.

Jim felt his fingers trembling as he touched those resigned lips, relieved when he felt warm air expelling across them.

"Bruce?"

Familiar brown eyes cracked open to look at him out of Batman's face. A small smile touching his mouth.

"Jim?"

He tried to smile at the other man through his tears but it was short lived when Bruce's wound came back to the forefront of his mind.

"You need to lie still, Bruce," he explained quickly, not even needing to try for the inflection of concern in his voice. "The bullet pierced your armor and you've already lost a lot of blood."

Bruce's face changed dramatically. From warm charm to shock, a gloved hand reaching up to find his mask was still in place.

Jim let out a mirthless laugh. "You didn't really think I wouldn't see, did you?"

"Jim...I..." But his words were cut off by a grimace of pain when he shifted.

Jim waved away words he didn't need to hear, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "I know, I understand. Right now that's not important." There was so much blood. "I just...need you to stay still right now, all right?" He had to focus on keeping Bruce calm or he'd lose his own. "The paramedics are gonna be here any second now. I need you to tell me how to get this armor off before they get here. I won't have some eager rookie unmasking you in an effort to _help _the famous Batman."

Bruce smirked at Jim's attempt to lighten the mood, as sourly as he managed it. "Keeping my identity to yourself, Commissioner?"

"And pass up the chance to explain why I've been in an intimate relationship with Gotham's most wanted vigilante for the last five years?" He asked sarcastically.

Bruce's face visibly fell again, and Jim could see more then physical pain shining in those brown eyes. "I should have told you."

"What kind of danger would we have been in if you'd told me back then?" Jim argued.

But Bruce was persistent and he felt a gloved hand cup the back of his neck. "I still should have told you..."

Jim tried to smile, failed miserably and shook his head. His voice was a dry whisper against the sound of the paramedics rushing up the four flights of stairs below. "I always knew."

Bruce chuckled weakly, letting his hand drop back to his chest as his chest rose and fell harshly. "I guess that's what happens when you fall for a cop, huh?"

"I guess it is." Jim said with a small smile, kneeling next to a whole man. Bleeding but whole, and he'd be damned if Bruce didn't get the chance to learn what that felt like now.

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P.S. Reviews always make me happy. X3


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